Combined switch-box and vacuum-line-seal mechanism for vacuum-cleaning systems



1927. 1,618,667 Feb 22 w. MELCHER COMBINED SWITCH BOX AND VACUUM LINE SEAL MECHANISM FOR VACUUM CLEANING SYSTEMS Filed June 1926 In van for.

, ne I P t; [22, 1927.

" STATES.

ravine w; amnesia,

PATENT oFFlcs.

OF POB'ILAN D, MAINE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THEODORE 0. Wm, 01 SOUTH PORTLAND, MAINE.

' comm!) swrrcE-nox mi vAcuUu-Lnm-sEAL mccmmsn iron. vacuum- CLEANING sys'rnms.

Application fled June 15, 1926. Serial No. 116,241.

located in the basement and operates on sev- 6 eral main lines extending throughout the building, with branch lines leading to a hose-attaching station in each of the .sever- .al rooms,as for instance, thosein a hotel or oflice building.

One of the specific objects of my invention is to provide a proper hose-nozzle connection at each station whereby a quick attachment to and detachment from the units may be made, and operable so that but one length 15 of hose may be required for all the several rooms located on one floor of the building,- .unless it becomes necessary to operate in more than one room at any one time. Thus it is possible to economize on the cost of hose.

Another Y object is to provide means at each station so that the operator may. have control of the electric circuit to start or sto the motor, so far as his particular station is concerned.

25 And a further and very important object relates to the feature incorporated in the device whereby after the disengagement. ofthe hose-nozzle from any station unit, the elec- I tric circuit will automatically' become broken 80 and the opening to the vacuum pipe line be closed at that station.

The invention ;consistsprmcipally in an switch-box, and within the chamber 2, is an automatically functioning apparatus involvmg in force,andris capable.of -fi lfillingthe forea goin je s an .h Y i chm-wate ,i t whjic I vwillfiiow ,describein connection one specific embodimentiwhich, at the pres out time, I consider pre erablelfto other cover 7 allows t e arm 13 to pro ect through into the compartment 2.

sibleformsmf'th i e -a In the accompanyingv drawings m which likechar'acters of referencelde'signate siim- 'xpa'cking'disc 18, which rovldes a tightgomt lar throughoil fthe,,. difl'erent as: .gj; Fi .I-Jis c w r i n f he'i.swi ch.-

, box,;1n position 'w thinthe-; wa1lof.a room;

2 is a front elevation ,ofitheswitcb x, v l0. -Fig; '3 i's a sectionalfelevatigl taken on S mom I! A.

line 3 3, Fi 2, the closed position;

two distinct mechan cal operations, 86 eliminating the human -element toputthem Attached to Fig, 4 is a fragmentary elevation of the same, in section, taken on line 3-3, Fig. 2,- the seal being open;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the switch link shown connected to the arm of the seal, and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatical lay-out of the electric circuit used in the system.

Fig. 1 illustrates one of the units perinanently located at each station in a partition between two rooms, with the vacuum pipe line and the electric wires attached to the same.

In Fig. 3, which shows the parts in detail, 1 is the switch-box body, having a compartment 2 in which the electrical apparatus is housed, and another compartment 3 which serves as a vacuum chamber within which connectlon 1s made with the hose-nozzle 4 the partition 1' separating the two compartments.

On the face of the switch-box, at the open side, 1s a two-piece cover, attached to the box by the screws 5. One part of the cover, 6, closes the open side of the chamber 2 and the other part, 7, tightly fits and closes the chamber 3, except as hereinafter will be Y notedordinary snap-switch '10, and rojecting fromthe body of, the switch is a andle or arm 11. Engaging this arm is a link 12 -p1votally secured at 14 to one end of the a The, $011.15 is provided with a suitable when closed against t e outer en the sleeve 8.

the link 12, opppsite pivotallyconnectedend 14, is a he calspring 19,

the latter being fixed to'the switch-box at 20.

sides of the switch- At the top and two either one of which box-1m o nings 21',

compartment 2. The wires (1 and 6, out of the cable, make proper connections with the switch at'the binding posts 23.

At the lower end of the switch-box is a boss 24, into which a branch 25 of the vacuum pipe line to the exhauster mains i screwed or otherwise secured.

Referring to Fig. 6, a diagrammatical layout of the electrical circuit is seen. The motor 26 operates the exhauster or vacuum pump 27 with which is connected the usual intermediary elements, such as the receiver, dust bags, etc., common to allvacuum cleaning systems,these latter not being shown on the drawing. 1

The main lines of the circuit are represented by the character M, with the cable wires a and 6 connected therewith and operating in parallel and extending to the various individual switches at each station in the boxes 1, 1,-theseswitches being shown in Fig. 6 as in open circuit.

It will be noted that any one of these switches when closed will start the motor,

' provided it is not already in operation, and

that so long as at least one of the stations is doing service the motor will continue to run.

In operation, the seal 15 is first raised manually and held thus while the nozzle 4 is inserted in the sleeve 8, as seen in Fig. 4. The actuation of the seal member automatically acts to close the electrical circuit through the engagement of the link 12 with the arm of the switch 11, and starts the motor rotating, if, as we will assume, this particular station is the only one operating in the system. Should others be operating the motor would, of course already be running, so the only effect will be to have the switch closed in case the others complete their work and throw off their switches previous to the completion of the work at the station under consideration.

So it will be observed, that the sole act by the operator to place a station in operation is to insert the nozzle. to which is attached the hose 28 and the cleaning implement at This closing of the seal also'breaks the electrical circuit and throws this particular switch out, and should there be no other stations operating will cause the stoppage of the motor. In case, however, one or more of the other stationsare in service the action occurring at the station. under consideration will have no effect on the others, and, until such time as all of the units are idle and the nozzles withdrawn, the motor will continue to operate.

It is necessary to manually raise the seal when about to operate one of the stations, as it is obvious that the proper hose connection with the vacuum lines could not be made otherwise. From this point onward, however, the operator ceases to be an essential factor in the functioning of the apparatus, as, after the nozzle is withdrawn the parts are automatically operated, whereas in some systems it is left to the operator to throw out a switch, close the vacuum line or perform some other duty connected with the manipulation of the device, after his cleaning work has been performed.

My combined switch-box andvacuum line seal is particularly adapted for use in cleaning systems employing a large unmber of stations, as each unit is operable independently of all others and each may be put into service exactly as though it was the only one in the building.

Mechanically, the device is simple in construction, effective in operation and is so designed as to present no disfigurement to the room in which it is installed.

And having thus described my invention, what I claim and wish protected by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described,

comprising in combination with an electric switch, a box having two compartments therein, a projection depending from said box and having an aperture therethrough extending into one of the said compartments, .a cover on the said mentioned compartment, a sleeve on said cover having a bore therethrongh, said bore communicating with the interior of said mentioned compartment, a seal pivotally mounted on said cover and adapted to act to open and to close the said bore in said sleeve, and means in common to actuate said seal and said switch simultaneously.

2. In a device of the character described, a two-compartment box, a seal adapted to open and to close one of said compartments to the atmosphere, means to place said seal equipped compartment in communication with an atmospheric-pressure-reducing mechanism and means whereby said seal may act to break an electric circuit when operating to close said compartment to the atmosphere and to close said circuit. when operating to open said compartment to the atmosphere.

3. In a device of the character described, comprising in combination with an electric switch, a box having two compartments therein, said switch being operable in one of said compartments, a sleeve in the other of the said compartments having a bore therethrough, a flange on said sleeve adapted to partially close an opening in said second mentioned compartment, a hose nozzle fitting said bore in said sleeve, a seal adapted to open and close the passage through said sleeve, and means whereby the said seal may be actuated to close said opening in said sleeve simultaneously with the actuation of said switch to open the electric circuit therethrough.

4. In a device of the character described, comprising in combination with an electric switch, a box having two compartments therein, a projection on said box having an aperture therethrough, said aperture opening into one of the said compartments, a

sleeve having a bore therein communicating with the interior of said last mentioned compartment, a flange on said sleeve partially closing said last mentioned compartment on one side thereof, a nozzle adapted to fit said bore in said sleeve, a seal pivotally mounted on the flange of said sleeve, an arm on said seal, a link making pivotal connection with said arm and adapted to engage said electric switch, and means to force and yieldingly hold said seal in closed position with respect to the opening in said sleeve while said switch is being held by said link acting to open the electric circuit through said switch.

IRVING W. MELCHER. 

